Manufacture of pipe



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Filed June 14, 1949 Jan, 5, 1954 DARNER ETAL 2,665,362

MANUFACTURE OF PIPE.

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MANUFACTURE OF PIPE Filed June 14. 1949 16 Sheets-Sheet l6 INVENTORSflederzc 1 2. Jar/fir BY ii hlier JT Caz/1e l atented Jan. 5, 1 954MANUFACTURE OF PIPE Frederic M. Darner, Shaker Heights, and Walter J.Caine, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to Republic Steel Corporation,

Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1949, Serial No. 99,101

36 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of pipe, i. e. tubularstructures of metal, and in important specific respects is directed tonovel apparatus and procedure for making pipe of relatively largediameter, for example, a diameter of the order of inches or more, fromskelp or plate stock which has been formed to a tubular configurationand which requires the closure and fastening of a seam extending axiallythereof. By way of example, one embodiment of the apparatus specificallydescribed hereinbelow was designed to manufacture steel pipe having anoutside diameter of the order of 24 to inches, and having a wallthickness which may be as great as A, to inch or so, the material beingsteel of physical characteristics suitable to withstand ultimate serviceof the pipe in carrying various fluids, e. g. liquids or gases, undersubstantial pressure. It will be appreciated, nevertheless, that anumber of features and combinations disclosed herein may be applied tothe manufacture of other types of pipe, 1. e. other tubular articles, orfor other operations.

While various types of apparatus have heretofore been proposed and usedfor manufacturing pipe, especially pipe of small diameter wherein a seamis continuously welded lengthwise of the pipe upon appropriate relativemotion between the pipe blank and the welding device, the manufacture ofarticles of the character noted above,

i. e. so-called large diameter pipe, involves special problems andconsiderations. The magnitude and weight of the work, i. e. the pipeblanks, upon which the machine is to operate, render pipe handlingequipment of ordinary types inadequate or ineffective; for instance, thesections or" 2 to 2 /2 foot (0. D.) pipe mentioned above may be 30 feetlong and weigh one ton or more. Indeed the proportions of wallthickness, diameter and length of the pipe sections present special andunusual difficulties, notably in providing true alignment of the pipeand its seam relative to the welding equipment, in providing accurateand uniform travel of the pipe past such equipment and withoutundesirable fluctuation in seam position, and finally in preventingrelative movement, even of a slight extent between the sides of thewelded seam both during and after the welding operation, 1. e. until theweld metal has fully solidified and set.

Accordingly, important objects of the present invention are to affordimproved apparatus and procedure for the manufacture of tubulararticles, especially articles of large diameter, so as to produce, witheconomy and rapidity, products aligned and supported both during of suchcharacter having uniform size, high strength and durability. Otherobjects are to provide new elements and combinations of apparatus forpipe manufacture, which are rugged and relatively simple inconstruction, yet fully efiective for the purpose, and to provide suchapparatus which is not only Well suited for pipe production of aselected size but may be readily adjusted or modified, i. e. in the caseof any given machine, to convert it to the manufacture of pipe of otherspecific sizes.

A further object is to provide new and improved arrangements foradvancing into pipeguiding and welding means, successive portions orlengths of pipe blank for operation of the firstmentionedinstrumentalities, the invention being also designed to afford suchadvancing means which are adapted to cooperate in the alignment of thepipe and in maintenance of or agreement with the desired speed of pipeadvance through the machine, such speed of advance being controlled byother instrumentalities to which the advancing means displaces the work.

Another object is to provide improved guiding and driving means, adaptedto receive and advance successive, formed pipe blanks toward theseam-welding instrumentalities, and particularly to provide such guidingmeans which is adapted, in a highly effective and accurate manner bothto align the cleft in the pipe blank for the welding operation and toprovide effective drive of the blank past such weldinginstrumentalities. Corollary objects are to afford improved structuralarrangements for guiding means of the character stated, including novelmounting devices for such elements and cooperating arrangements ofeifective character for maintaining the desired configuration of thepipe blank, as well as to cooperate in bringing the edges of the cleftinto the desired closed or other relation for function of the weldingdevices.

A particularly important ob ect of the invention is also to provide, inapparatus of the stated character, new, more rugged and yet moreaccurate and reliable instrumentaiities for holding and positioning thepipe blank and espe cially the edges of its cleft, while relative motionbetween the blank and the welding instrumentalities is effected toproduce the desired seam. Special objects are also to provide suchpipeholding means, of the nature of a chuck device, wherein the edges ofthe cleft are more perfectly the ng operation and until the metal hassol" d and set, and likewise to afford a chuck device which is readilyadjustable for accurate conformity with the dimensions of the pipeblank, which is easily serviced for repair or replacement of itselements as necessary and which is especially adapted for convenientre-setting or replacement of parts to accommodate pipe blanks of widelydifferent diameters. A further object is to provide improvedarrangements, cooperating with the pipe holding chuck or the like, forsupporting, guiding and controlling the welding means, to enhance theaccuracy and uniformity of seam production along the cleft in the pipeblank.

Another object is to provide new and efiicient means, preferablycooperating with the welding chuck and the welding instrumentalities perse, to promote eflicient and convenient use of a type of welding whichrequires relatively substantial quantities of flux, e. g. divided, solidflux, or other loose material, at the locality of weld, such means beingparticularly designed both to avoid interference of the flux materialwith operation of other instrumentalities and to maintain desiredlocalization of such material.

Another and notably significant object is to afford new and improvedinstrumentalities, cooperating with the chuck and welding devices anddisposed internally of the pipe blank, for guiding and holding thelatter during operation of such other devices; an allied object being toafford such internally disposed means, which cooperates to maintain achilling or cooling device in accurate alignment and position with asurface of the pipe blank for properly limiting the depth of penetrationof the weld and later aiding in solidifying the welded seam. Anotherobject is the provision of new and effective instrumentalities forpromoting desired register of the edges of the cleft as the same areadvanced past the seam-welding device.

To these and other ends, including further objects such as will behereinbelow apparent or as are incidental to the use and operation ofthe described improvements, certain presently pre ferred embodiments ofthe invention are described below and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, by way of illustrative example which is believed todemonstrate the several features, combinations and principles of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings:

Figs. l-A and 1-3 are a plan view of the apparatus, omitting a number ofdetails of certain parts but showing the general arrangement, thesefigures being intended as in effect a single view, interrupted at thebroken line;

Figs. 2-A and 2B are a view, corresponding to 7 Figs. 1-A and 1-13, ofthe apparatus in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation of a central part at the righthand endof Fig. 2B, greatly enlarged, showing certain pipe advancinginstrumentalities.

Fig. 4.- is a section on line ifl of Fig; 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view on line 5-5 of Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 2-A, greatlyenlarged, showing certain pipe guiding and advancing means;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 'i-? of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section, with certain parts inelevation, taken on a plane through the axis of the advancing pipe andshowing structure at the lefthand end of Figs. 1-A and 2-A, includingvarious pipe guiding and holding instrumentalities (in part constitutingthe chuck device) in the vicinity of the welding station;

Fig. 8-A is a fragmentary view, chiefly in vertical section along aplane through the pipe axis, showing certain internal parts of thecarriage device of Fig. 8;

Fig. 8-B is a fragmentary section on line B-B-B-B of Fig. 8-A;

Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary section on line 9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section on line re se of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevation of the lefthand end of the apparatus(as seen in Figs. 1-A and 2-A), i. e. the chuck, with certain parts insection on planes spaced from such end;

Fig. 12 is a perspective, somewhat diagrammatic view showing certainframe structure of the pipe-engaging chuck means illustrated in Fig. 11;

Figs. 13 and 1e are fragmentary sections taken respectively on lines13-53 and i k-i i of 11;

Fig. 15 is an exploded, fragmentary view, in perspective, showingelements of certain adjusting means for the roller cages illustrated inFigs. 11, 13 and 14;

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line l6l6 ofFig. 11, with certain parts omitted;

Fig. 1'7 is a side elevation, taken as if on line l'l-ll of Fig. 9,showing a roller cage arrangement at the upper part of the chuck means,such as also shown in Fig. 16

Fig. 18 is a fragmentary elevation of part of the end mounting plate ofthe chuck means, but withoutcertain attached parts shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 19 is a perspective View of a removable supporting plateillustrated inFig. 18;

Fig. 20 is. a fragmentary section, on a very enlarged scale, of certainparts similarly shown, but in elevation, at the upper portion of Fig. 9;

Fig. 21 is a side elevation, taken partly in vertical section on thesame plane as Fig. 8, but from the other side, and showing details ofthe welding means omitted (for clarity) from Fig. 8;

Fig. 22 is a vertical section on line 22-22 of Fig. 21

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary view, essentially in plan, on line 2323 of Fig.21;

Fig. 24 is a perspective, schematic view, showing the generalrelationship of certain representative elements of the apparatus inoperation upon a pipe blank;

Figs. 25, 26 and 27 are diagrammatic views illustrating the manner ofadvance of successive pipe lengths through the machine, Fig. 25including schematic illustration of control means for pipe advancinginstrumentalities shown in Figs. 3 to 5;

Fig. 28 is a perspective, schematic View showing" an alternative form ofpipe advancing and also further illustrating a type of pipe blank uponwhich themachine may operate;

Fig. 29 is an elevation of a further part of th internal carriage deviceshown in Fig. 8, with certain associated structure, Figs. 8- and 2e ineffect representing a single complete view of the carriage and itssupport, interrupted between the right hand end of Fig. 8 and the leftend of Fig. 29;

Fig. 30 is a section of the chuck, taken on the same vertical plane asFig. 8, but shown without the pipe blank and without the internalcarriage; and

Fig. 31 isa plan View of the chuck, shown without the weldinginstrumentalities and without the flux shields.

In essence, the complete apparatus illustrated in the drawings isdesigned to receive successive lengths of metal in tubularconfiguration, which may be generically herein designated as pipeblanks, and each of which may consist of a steel sheet or plate, calledskelp when used for pipe manufacture, of relatively heavy gauge, formedin a tubular shape with a cleft or open seam extending longitudinallythereof, such cleft requiring closure (herein conveniently called aseam) along its length to produce a finished section of pipe. During theseam-welding operation it is required that the tubular structure beappropriately held to avoid distortion or malformation of the productfrom an intended, uniform configuration. More specifically, thesuccessively received pipe blanks are advanced and aligned, being movedaxially past a welding station where the welded closure is efiectedalong the cleft, the blanks being held against lateral displacement andparticularly against relative movement of the edges of the cleft untilthe welded seam is fully set, and the welded pipe lengths beingprogressively discharged at the forward or outlet end of the apparatus.The entire operation is preferably continuous, i. e. in that the motionof a pipe blank through the machine need not be interrupted from thetime of its original intro duction until its ultimate discharge as afinished section of pipe. While the several instrumentalities,combinations and devices set forth are peculiarly adapted forcooperation in the complete apparatus shown and contribute to theeffective functioning of the latter for yield of uniform pipe havinghigh strength and durability, it will be understood that such elementsand sub-combinations may have independent utility or may be used inother combinations, or may in some cases be replaced in the presentapparatus by other devices. Nevertheless, as stated, the illustratedmachine represents an effectively functioning unit wherein all of thevarious elements cooperate both mechanically and in practical eiiect, tothe attainment of the results outlined hereinabove.

The general organization of the complete apparatus may be seen in Figs.l-A, l-B, Z-A and 2B. The feeding and aligning devices are mounted alonga main frame 4E, which includes spaced, upright members ll andassociated beams and supporting parts so as to constitute a rectangularframe extending along the path of pipe advanced and in effect,surrounding such path. Successive pipe blanks 44 are introduced axiallyat the righthand end of Figs. 1-3 and 243, for operation of thereciprocating feeding means generally designated 46. The latter pushesthe pipe length in a direction to the left as seen in these figures, tothe guiding, advancing and aligning devices (Figs. 1-A and 2-A) whichinclude sets of pinch rolls generally designated 43, 29 and 50, thatpositively engage the wall or" the pipe blank to move it further alongthe path, as will be more specifically described below. These devicesadvance the blank through a welding head or chuck generally indicated atthe lefthand end of Figs. l-A and 2-A as at 52. As the pipe blank moveslongitudinally through the chuck at 52, th welding operation, to closethe seam in the pipe, is eifectuated by a welding assembly convenientlydisposed above the pipe and generally designated 54a in Fig. 21 (lookingfrom the other side than Fig. l-A), illustration of the welding meansand of details of the chuck being omitted from Figs. 1-A and 2-A for thesake of clarity.

The apparatus also includes a carrier device generally designated 56a,(Fig. 8), which rides in a stationary position inside the pipe as thelatter advances, the supporting structure and functional parts ofcarriage device 56d being such as more fully set forth below, includingmeans 00- operating with the chuck and the welding assembly, to keep thepipe blank in proper position and alignment. It will be understood thatmeans for forming the pipe blank to the desired tubular shape prior toits insertion in the apparatus of Figs. 1-3 and 2-3, and likewise meansfor such further or finishing operations as may be desired for theclosed pipe leaving the chuck at 52 in Figs. l-A and 2-A, form no partor" the present invention and. are, therefore, not shown herein. It willalso be understood that in order to facilitate entry of the pipe blanksat the righthand end of the apparatus shown in these figures andsimilarly to facilitate withdrawal of the completed pipe after eachlength of it has been fully ejected from the chuck 52, suitablesupporting carrier devices may be employed, such as rollers along whichthe pipe may be manually pushed, but being conventional elements, arelikewise omitted from the present views for the sake of simplicity.

As indicated above, the illustrated apparatus is adapted to handle pipeblanks, and to produce corresponding pipe lengths, of extraordinary sizeand weight, for instance individual tubular pieces having a diameter of20 to 30 inches or so and a length of about 30 feet. Such pipe lengths,having a wall thickness of the order of A inch to onehalf inch or so,are extremely heavy and cumbersome pieces, fully rigid to any manualpressure or the like, and indeed having a weight, depending on thediameter and on the gauge of the wall, of the order of to 1 1 tons ormore.

Reciprocating feeding means Although in some cases other provision maybe made for advancing successive pipe blanks to the pinch rolls 48, theillustrated apparatus includes a device lia which pushes the pipe blankat lengthwise from the position indicated in Fig. 2-13, into engagementof its leading end with the first set of pinch rolls &8. To support theblank and facilitate its advance along the designated path, as by themeans just mentioned, there are provided pairs of movable devices suchas balls, rollers or the like, for example the pairs of laterally spacedrollers Ed, 55 which may have a tapered configuration as shown and whichare arranged to support the underside of the pipe blank 4 (Fig. 3) sothat it may roll easily in the intended direction. As will be noted in1-7;, sets of these rollers are disposed at successive, spaced positionslongitudinally of the path, as likewise sets of generally similarrollers 53, E? at further localities along the frame All. As also shownin Fig. 3, each of the rollers such as the roller 54, has a stub shaft58 on which it is carried and which is journalled for free rotationbearings 60, 5E mounted on suitable spacing sup ports 62 aifixed to across member 4 of the frame. To accommodate pipe of different diameter,the support members 62 may be changed and re aifixed in other suitablerelation, and if desired, the rollers 54, 55 may be substituted byothers of appropriately different taper.

As further shown in Figs. 1-3, 2B, 3, 4 and 5, a slide or cross head 66is arranged to slide in ways 61, 68 extending longitudinally of the pipepath and below the latter. The cross head 66 carries a bracket as havingpivoted to it, on a horizontal axis, a pusher arm in which may have ahook-like shape as shown and which is adapted to engage the trailingedge ll of the pipe blank at the lowermost locality of such edge. Thecross head is also secured at the end of a pis ton rod 72 which extendsto a piston 14 (Figs. 25, 26 and 27) reciprocable in a cylinder 56 whichmay be actuated by suitable fluid and is preferably of double-actingtype controllable to drive the piston rod l3 positively in eachdirection, longitudinally of the pipe path. The ways ill, 63 and thecylinder it are mounted on support beams zit, ti which are carried onframe cross members such as the member t l and which may be supplementedwith shims when necessary, so as to adjust the elevation of thereciprocating pushed to other pipe blanks of diiferent diameters.

While water, oil or other liquid, may be employed, under pressure, foroperation of this and other fluid-actuated instrumentalities of theapparatus, it is at present preferred to employ gaseous fluid, e. g.air-operated cylinders. Thus in the device shown, the cylinder l6 may besupplied with compressed air from a suitable source (not shown) so as toadvance the cross head alternately to the left, in pipe pushing (Fig. 4)or in return direction to the right, under suitable control.

Assuming that the arm ill is engaged with the rear edge ii of a pipeblank it, displacement or" the piston rod 53 from its outermost positionof Figs. 1-3, 2-B and 4 (full line position) carries the arm to the leftand thereby pushes the pipe blank along the rollers 54, 55 for suchdistance as is necessary to bring the leading edge of the blank intoengagement by the first set of pinch rolls 43. The latter, beingpositively driven as explained below, then grasp the pipe wall andcontinue the advance of the blank through the machine. In the meanwhile,another pipe blank has been inserted into the path, i. e. along therollers as o manually or otherwise pushing it into place. The cross headas and arm it are then moved back from the dotted line position ltd (theend of the previous stroke) to the original position, by reversal ofcompressed air supplied to the cylinder it. During such travel andindeed during any time of intended relative motion between a pipe blankand the arm lo, the latter rocks about its pivot as shown at lilb, so asto slide under the new pipe blank at until the end or" the latter haspassed, whereupon the weight of the tail portion 78 of the armcauses itto swing into operative position. The arm is held against swingingfurther (beyond such position) by a stop '19 on the cross head, engagingthe tail portion it. The cycle may then be repeated, i. c. it beingassum d that in the meanwhile the preceding pipe blank has advanced intothe pinch rolls d3, 555, 5 with the leading end of the new blankpressing against the rear end of the first one.

By way of illustrative example of a control for the pusher it, 25 showsdiagrammatically a manually controlled valve device 8 t having conduitconnections 85, 8% to opposite ends of the cylinder it and having anexhaust or relief duct ill and a compressed air supply pipe 88, it beingunderstood that such valve may be of any suitable, known type wherebythe operator actuates the handle file so as to connect the opposite endsof the cylinder respectively and a1- direction 'ternately with the airand exhaust for accomplishment of successive strokes.

The general operation of the advance of pipe blanks may also be seen inFigs. to 2'7 inclusive, showing successive stages. Thus in Fig. 25 oneblank i la is being advanced by the pinch rolls ie to so through thechuck at 52 while a succeeding blank l ib has been moved into positionfor operation of the pusher as, i. e. with the trailing end of the blankl lb just ahead of the arm it. Although in some circumstances theoperation of the pusher need not be timed exactly with the advance ofthe preceding section Mia through the pinch rolls, the cylinder it ispreferably actuated at once, i. e. when the parts have reached thecondition of Fig. 25, to commence pushing the blank Mb to the left. Thuswith the cylinder l6 acting to drive the pusher arm is, the pipe lengthMb is advanced against the end. of the preceding length i la, until theleading edge of the length Mb has been engaged by the first pinch rollsit. To allow I some leeway in operation, as well as for accommodation ofsome range of length of pipe blank, the stroke of the piston i l andthus of the arm "it is somewhat longer than necessary to bring the pipelength from the position of Fig. 25 into driving engagement by the firstpinch rolls 48; the pusher may then continue exertion of its advancingforce until the leading end of the blank Mb is well past the rolls 48 asshown in Fig. 26, i. e. indeed until the piston M has completed a fullstroke, for example, of about eight feet.

A further blank l lc, moved into position for entry, is now manually orotherwise pushed into the machine, along the supporting rollers andpreferably with its leading edge in firm abutn". at against the end ofthe now preceding blank i. e. as shown in Fig. 27. Although suchabutment is convenient for assurance of the desired further results, itwill be understood that in most cases it is at least necessary at thisstage (i. e. to insure en-dwise abutment of blanks beyond the rolls d8)that the pipe blank 240 be advanced to the position previously occupiedby blank Mb (Fig. 25) well before the trailing end of the precedingblank (56a in Fig. 25 and ate in Fig. 27) has reached the rolls 68. Withthe blank Mic in the position of blank M2) in Fig. 25, the entire cycleof operation is repeated. It will be understood that at an appropriateintermediate time, for instance during the introduc tion of the blankMic, the valve St was shifted to drive the piston rod 73 in reversedirection, relocating the arm ll? in its outward position, the armhaving been tilted as shown in Fig. 27 until the rear end of the blanklfis'c cleared it.

As intimated above, even if a short gap temporarily arises between theadjacent ends of blanks i la and Gill) at the condition of Fig. 25, thnature of the drive of the arm '56, i. e. by the fluid operated cylinderit, is such that the pipe blank l lb is rapidly advanced to close thegap before the meeting ends of the blanks an and. i lb have reached therolls 53. t will also be appreciated that when the successive pipelengths are abutted. endwise, the drive of the arm it by the cylinder isautomatically just Suficient to keep the driven pipe blank in firmengagement wtih the one head of it, until the driven blank is grasped bythe rolls 23. Thereafter the rate of drive of the arm '68, if the latteris permitted to complete its stroke, is similarly accommodated to therate of advance of the pipe, now positively governed by the rolls 18. Inother

